


Followed to Faerun

by clorinspats



Category: The Big One (D&D)
Genre: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, F/M, Fluff, Headaches & Migraines, No Dungeons & Dragons Knowledge Required, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Shapeshifting, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24112105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clorinspats/pseuds/clorinspats
Summary: The first time Charlie uses magic to plane shift, he loses a bit of context. Thandi decides to help.
Relationships: Thandi Kahsu/Charlie Vanderbee





	Followed to Faerun

The sound of water dripping rouses him. He opens his eyes, staring up at the sky through a distant hole in the ceiling of this… cave. Moonlight calls a memory forward, and he adopts the form she advises. A black panther rises from the shallow pool of water, and he casts around for something he can recognize. 

Esoteric tidbits of knowledge tumble through his mind. Limestone cavern, carved by the slow trickle of barely acidic water. Air circulates thanks to the sinkhole above. And…

He doesn't belong here. Not this  _ specific _ here, no, but the entirety of this  _ here. _ His temple throbs and he hisses in pain, the grasp of this knowledge fading as he drags his face against the cold stone below in an effort to stop the gouge of a knife there.

Flashes of color pop in his vision and the moonlight is too bright, the drip of water is too loud, and the pain makes him heave. The pressure of the attempt sends another stab through his skull. 

_ Sylvanus, I'm going to fucking kill you! _

Who the fuck is Sylvanus?

The thought is killed by pain, and so he spends a few desperate hours as nothing more than a beast in agony. 

Morning brings peace at last. The panther leaps into the air, feathers bursting out and a raven flies through the hole above. He flaps and flaps and flaps, beating his wings until he has a view of his surroundings.

A forest rolls out below, and he can see a city in the distance. Another memory lights up his mind.

_ "Your first time might be a bit of a doozy,  _ _ xxxxxx _ _." _

_ "Don't...ugh. I've traveled through the ethereal plane before. What makes this so different from what Thandi and Vitani do?" _

_ "You're moving yourself through your own power. They are using tools. It might take some time for the rest of you to catch up." _

Thandi. Vitani. Sylvanus. Three names. Evidently, they know precisely what's happened to him. Hopefully he remembers his name and why he's here, soon. Hell, maybe those three will help?

There's nothing to lose from it. He glides toward the city on the horizon. There's a promise he has to keep.

If only he could remember what it was.

Thandi sighs as she stands outside a bookshop. If  _ he _ were here, he'd encourage her to go in and grab the latest  _ Damsels _ book. And then they would read it to one another! Just because!

But he's not here, and she's supposed to meet with Vitani at the guild hall. She's caught between sadness and anger right now. Sadness because she can't see Charlie anymore. Anger because she didn't  _ want _ to come back. There was so much left for her to do in Alleria! She could be teaching a classroom full of eager pupils! Studying the effect of the magic on a world that just started to acclimate! Read with Charlie!

"Thandi!!"

She misses him so much that she could swear that she heard him.

"Thandi!"

Wait.

That...no. No way.

A hand on her shoulder prompts her to turn, and her eyes go wide when she sees her bedraggled Charlie. He looks relieved, but...also as if everything is too bright. Squinting against the early afternoon sun.

"Oh, thank  _ fuck _ , you look familiar."

"Charlie...what are you doing here?"

"Charlie? ...ah. My name. All right, um. How do I put this? I don't… really know where I am, or how I got here, or  _ why _ . Not yet. But I'm sure I know you. You're the only person here not making me w--"

Thandi watches his hand rise to his temple, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes. 

"Charlie! What's wrong?!"

"Mmmmigraine.  _ Fuck _ , what to do…! Could I trouble you to find me somewhere to shut it all out?! I'm. I'm going to be sick…"

"I! Oh!" She still has her ring. She was going to turn it in today, once her meeting with Vitani brought her magical career to an end, but… She slips it on and grabs the doorknob of the bookstore, pushing Charlie through and her following close behind. No bag worries today; the bag had already been returned.

Charlie makes a beeline to her couch, gripping his head as he rocks back and forth. She drapes her cloak over his head and he mumbles a thanks. Thandi rushes to go through whatever is left of her time in Alleria, cursing to herself when she recalls that she had kept the vial of Allerian peppermint with her precious belongings. It's sitting in her baggage for when she moves into the home of her betrothed. 

Instead, she goes back to his side, putting a hand to Charlie's back. She had never seen his migraines cause him so much pain, likely because he was always on top of applying the peppermint to…

Peppermint tea! She rushes to get the kettle heated, her clattering making him hiss in pain. Thandi tries desperately to quiet everything, pulling the hot water off the stove too quickly. She cries out as the water sloshes out in her frenzy, and in seconds, a bird flaps up to her level and tumbles into a man, already reaching for her arm. The searing pain disappears in an instant, and he collapses.

Everything is still so vague. But this, this place feels familiar. The sweet smell makes his heart race, the smooth feeling of these sheets. Fingers stroking his face. Fingers stroking...something else. A part of him that isn't part of him, lips delicately kissing his petals…

Thandi is asleep in a chair beside him. He--right, he's  _ Charlie _ , Charlie Vanderbee--reaches out to try to shake her gently. The first touch echoes something. He's not sure what, but the feeling in his chest at least gives him direction.

"Thandi. Thandi, wake up."

Her eyes flutter open, and she gasps as she realizes her position. "Ch-Charlie! How is your head?"

"It's not trying to kill me at the moment. I have got to ask: how do you know me?" 

The look on her face, utter disappointment and...something he can't describe. Her brows knit together in worry as she reaches out to stroke his cheek. "I'm your teacher."

Ah, a mentor-mentee relationship. Something in him give a shout of defiance, an intense dislike for such a classification. Charlie purses his lips. 

"Teacher Thandi. All right. I'm looking for someone. Some _ thing _ . I'm sure of that much." He shifts, moving to get out of the bed, but Thandi presses a hand to his chest.

"Wait! Are you sure you don't remember me? 

"I barely remember myself. Out of the four names I know, my own name is one, and yours is two."

"And the others?"

"Vitani and Sylvanus." 

Slowly, Thandi nods. She seems worried, and he feels a pulse quickening. Before he could linger on the feeling, though, she strokes his cheek. Her eyes are warm, and Charlie can't seem to resist pressing his face to her palm.

"You and I...aren't just teacher and student, are we?"

"That's all we were."

"Something in me says it's different...but. Maybe it was just me? I don't know. Something about your  _ face _ is making me leak thoughts like a cracked goblet."

Thandi bites her lip. She could send him back home. Definitely. She  _ should. _ But instead… "I need to find you a place to stay."

"Is it a place with ceilings?" 

Thandi snorts, smacking his chest as he laughs with her. Always with the ceilings! "Yes, of course! Come on…"

She takes his hand, pausing long enough at her kitchen to collect mint leaves. She hands them to Charlie. "Let's not forget this. I suppose you have to chew them."

"Topical is best for my problem, but hopefully the sharpness in the mouth is enough to stave off my migraines." Charlie pops them into his mouth, chewing and grimacing. Thandi is awash in the scent of peppermint and it makes her heart skip a beat. Oh, she's  _ never _ going to be able to smell peppermint without imagining him with her.

It makes her tear up, lip quivering as the heartache starts fresh. He's right here, but without his memory of--

"Hey…" The soft, tender tone. His hand on her cheek. His forehead pressed to hers. She lights up, certain his memories returned. They come crashing down with his following words. "...I'll be out of your hair soon. I'm sure once I recall everything, it'll all be sorted quickly."

Another stab in the heart from her most precious person. 

Is he, though? The softness of his eyes, the small glance that drops to her mouth, lingering too long. It's like he's falling for her all over again. Yes. He  _ is _ her… most. Precious. Person…

"All right, Charlie. Let's go."

First order of business: she has to get  _ both _ of them somewhere to stay. Pacing in the library was not going to be a safe practice for very long.

If they stay in her (former) room, Vitani could simply walk in and push Charlie right back into Alleria. 

If they go to her parent's house (could she really call it home after being absent for years and yet still finding the time to resent the obligation she felt to her parents?), they'll take one look at Charlie's sullen face and boot him out, forbidding her from ever picking up another 'stray' again.

If they go to stay at an inn with what little pocket money she has, then they would only be able to stay a few days before having to move elsewhere due to a lack of funds.

Wait. Thandi paces, fingertip tapping on her chin as a smile begins to spread across her face. She hears that sentimental chuckle she knows all too well.

"An idea, you wicked woman?" Aaah...her most private pet name coming from that slyly tilted smirk, head tilted in that familiar way. Always,  _ always _ begging her to come over and fix it.

And now she can. Thandi crosses the room, ever so  _ gently _ brushing the hair out of his eyes and tucking it behind his ear. She finds herself giggling as her fingers brush over the pin. "You know, the hairpin is magical. It--"

"--magically keeps your hair in place."

Both of them laugh, leaning into one another. Oh, the small moments. It's like watering seedlings and watching them bloom, all over again.

So, she takes a breath and holds his face in her hands.

"...and that's what we're going to do! What do you think, darling?"

Charlie could feel his cheeks heating. He had long ago noticed the matching bands on their fingers, realized that the feeling of him- _ not- _ him was coming from her bracelet that glinted with a button from the vest he was wearing at this very moment.

So, he's certain of one thing right now. His hands come up to hold hers, pulling them gently from his cheeks to instead allow him to ever so tenderly stroke her palms. How could he think that the way he felt could mean anything else?

"I think I remember precisely who you are, now, dearest." Oh, it feels so right to say. Her face lights up further, the dazzle and energy of her smile seeming to call his own. 

"You do? That's perfect!"

"You're my partner."

"Yes!"

"My wife."

Her eyes widen, smile faltering and tears beginning to glisten already. Is he mistaken? Oh, fuck. "Your wife…" Her whisper grabs his heart. "...no."  _ Oh _ , that crush is so familiar. His face drops. Dumb mistake.

"My...apologies. Thandi. I might be a bit more addled than I thought. I mean, how could I think  _ you _ were my wife? Haha… of course not. Silly… me."

The look on her face goes from heart-shattering to downright  _ devastating. _ Something didn't work out. There's a lot of subtext here he isn't equipped to understand. She takes a steady breath and… he can't help it. He pulls her in.

"Come home, there we are… I'm sorry. Truly. I, ah. Let's do step one, all right? Get an inn room. Maybe you would feel better there, with a bit of time."

She nods and buries her face into him. He feels the strength of her despair in her grip. When she pulls away, the look on her face is banished, replaced with a sunny smile that does not reach her eyes. There's something she isn't telling him, and he  _ knows _ that somehow, they are tied. Words he can't recall  _ recalling _ tumble out of his mouth, and he is moved to reach out and comfort her at every tiny misstep. Certainly, he's no saint, so there must be something he must make amends for.

Must.

It's starting to click into place as he follows her from the library to an inn, oddly called  _ The Cock and Crow _ . Does she realize the  _ sort _ of inn she's taking him to? 

Oh, oh dear. The impulse to dissuade her is also frightfully familiar. "Thandi. Dearest. Um, that is  _ no normal inn _ …"

"It isn't?" She glances back at him as they walk through the door. She glides confidently up to a barman and says, "One room, please! For two!"

"No shit," he snorts. Before she could question it, a key with a little  _ unmentionable _ dangling from it is shoved into her hand. She stares at it, going from a brilliant red to a shockingly pale tone. Oh, gods.

Charlie plucks the key from her hand, tugging Thandi up after him with little fanfare. He fumbles at the lock--a big  _ 3 _ is carved into the scrotum of the keyring, of all places--and he shoves Thandi inside. She's shaky, trying to laugh at her mistake.

"That! Must be why. The rates are so cheap! Ha! Haha. Oh, blast it." Charlie tosses the key to the table, putting his hands on her shoulders in an effort to steady her. Yes, it would not be difficult to make a misstep with her. 

"Thandi, it's all right. No one would think to look for us here. We don't need to stay for very long, I mean, how long does it take for two amorous debauchees to, ah… make love, anyway? Especially with. How clearly virginal you are."

The taste of his foot is foul. She gives him a look like he's a scraping from her boot heel. His eyes flick down. Sandal. Heel. Sole? Shoes  _ again _ , fucksake.

"I. I don't know. This is so  _ humiliating… _ "

She needs distraction. All right. He could do that much for her, refocus her elsewhere. Carefully, he walks her backward to the bed, eyebrows raised in what he hoped was a chaste expression of careful deliberation.

Instead, she stared at him, her color returned and  _ amplified. _ He swallows. There was certainly something between them. It'll be a puzzle.

"All right, dearest." His hands leave her shoulders and it almost makes her shiver, the loss of what little warmth she gained from them. She is settled, perching on the side of the bed as if waiting for it to come to life and swallow her whole. The anxiety!

He paces, much like she had in the library. "I think first, before we follow your plan, we should probably stop and try to figure out which things I have remembered right and which ones I have remembered poorly."

Thandi drops her eyes, biting her lip. The cold guilt of her inadmissions are making her shiver, too.

"One. I have come here from somewhere not here. Alleria. There we are. Two. I am Charlie Vanderbee, I've a companion named Rev who is  _ conspicuously  _ absent." 

He pauses to smile at the little tittering laugh that bubbles out of her. Gods, she could feel that warmth even across the room. "Rev is your familiar, darling."

"Ah. Rev. Short for Reverend. A joke on that asshole Cilantro." The brief cloud over his expression clears before Thandi could remark. "Three--three, yes?"

"Yes." Oh, seeing him fret so systematically again is hypnotic. It's like she's privy to every thought in his mind.

"All right. Three. I am here to retrieve someone or something immensely important to return to Alleria. Four…" Thandi warms. He really did come just for her. She watches him wear a hole in the (rather ugly) rug as he counts off his points of knowledge.

It's only been a short while since she's seen him, not even a whole month. It only took a week, perhaps two, for him to hopelessly fall in love with her and she him originally. Her cheeks catch fire at that thought.

She hadn't expected to miss his long mutterings, the way he could talk round the most basic things that made him unexpectedly angry. She hadn't expected to miss the way he sometimes stopped, midsentence, to look her way and drink her in. Occasionally at cost.

What she  _ really _ hadn't expected was that she had missed how well-tailored his clothes are. His face is handsome, to some, and his hair is soft, to her. He's only gotten leaner on the road, and it's changed his silhouette into something less "has only existed to read books and take long walks on a worryingly small amount of food" to "lift her up and throw her over his shoulder as he runs from the cries of her parents as she laughs and thanks entire pantheons that he's back to--"

Oh, specific. Right! When has she ever thought about that? Definitely  _ not _ every night she's been back in Faerun.

"...Thandi, dearest, I can't help but notice you're looking fairly flushed. And. Since you have been adamant that we are  _ not _ together--" A thought seems to click in his head and his tone shifts. Oh no. He's going to do it again, that thing where he struts up, just like that…! "--I have got to say that you might be a little ill. Just a mite."

The purposeful steps he takes toward her, the cocking of his hips as he stands in front of her, that way he  _ purrs _ his words. The mischief in his eyes that glitter as he leans down to look into her face.

"Ch-Charlie...oh. You might be right. I think I might be."

"Shall I check? As your  _ personal _ physician?" 

He's doing this on purpose! 

Oh, please, don't let their first kiss be in a love hotel.

His breath on her as he presses his forehead to hers. "You do seem warm. I do have just the solution."

Okay! What's  _ one _ kiss? Even if it's the first one she's ever had in her life! She closes her eyes, waiting for his lips on hers. Instead, he pulls back.

"Let's move on to the next step.  _ Walking. _ "

Damnit!

More of her coin is spent getting travel necessities. There are few things they actually need--she can produce food with magic, and he can secure their campsite. One bedroll is enough between them--his panther form will suffice.

Charlie estimates that they won't go far in Thandi's three step plan. Now that he remembers.

Step one: Rent an inn room to have some peace and security for long enough for them to pick a direction.

Step two: Cast aside  _ everything _ that Thandi has ever worked for and simply walk from village to village.

Step three: Ply a joint trade between their  _ incredibly _ compatible magics, travel the world until he's sorted, and then acquire 'whatever it is that you seek!'

He's done doing what she expects of him. Now, he's going to be selfish for  _ just _ a little while, in just such a fashion where she could finally learn to fucking  _ indulge _ herself. 

That's right. He's going sweep her off her feet with a gallant performance, make her fall  _ exquisitely _ in  _ undeniable  _ love with him, Thandi is going to want him  _ so _ badly that she can't pretend that she doesn't. There's no reason to, not anymore. Her obligations are fulfilled.

She came to Alleria. She schooled the entire  _ world _ in magic. She studied her heart out. More than once--far too many times!--she poured her very  _ lifeblood _ into righting wrongs that she couldn't deny. Charlie owes it to her to help her remember  _ herself. _

The walk out of the city is such an easy transition that it makes Thandi want to laugh. She's lived her entire life rigidly in little boxes that other people have pointed her to. In Alleria, she made her  _ own _ boxes, dropping herself squarely into a matryoshka of infinite rules and guidelines.

Charlie shows up for a few hours in her life again in Faerun and shown her that the boxes are nothing more than simple paper constructions. It's really  _ that _ easy!

As soon as they settle into a comfortable pace, natural to them after so many years, she feels Charlie take her hand. His fingers lace with hers and it sends a curious thrill straight through to her brain. 

When she peers at him, expecting him to recall their agreements from the past, he simply glances her way and gives her a small smile. Her hand gets sweaty, and she feels...nervous? Charlie doesn't seem to care that her hand is damp. Sometimes he even swings their arms back and forth jovially, quiet as he listens to their feet crunching on the dirt road.

Thandi supposes that he might be attached, even with his memories fuzzy. It tickles her again, his unerring affection. If she doesn't point it out, she can keep holding his hand, too.

Thandi loves small gestures. Grand ones make her nervous, as if she's going to get caught for a crime she masterminded herself. Little ones, though. He's building a little tower of gestures and security. After all, there's only one person he feels he can understand, and honestly?

It's a  _ joy _ to watch her blossom under his careful tending. Like a flower that he's been anticipating for far too long.

Leaving the city and simply walking, for Thandi, was by far the grandest gesture he could give her right now. Rules don't  _ exist _ if she didn't care to follow them. And to ground her when she pores over her actions?

His hand. In hers. Where it belongs. If he doesn't point it out, she lets his actions be. Not because they don't merit discussion, but because her acknowledgement of them would send her into a moral quandary the likes of which would crush her back into the nested constraints that tortured her for so long.

When night comes, he presses close to her side and rubs her back affectionately. He makes her bedroll for her. He laughs as they share food and talk about nothing in particular. When it comes time to bed down, he asks the plants to keep watch and walks toward her as she sits.

She watches him approach and he makes a show of ensuring she's tucked in adequately.

"What are you doing, Charlie?"

"I can't help but feel as if something is off about this sleeping arrangement."

"Oh, I  _ knew _ I should have bought another bedroll--"

"Not that, dearest. I feel like something is  _ missing _ from you. Something precious. I can't recall." He recalls quite vividly, actually. She stares up at him and her lip trembles. The simple act of leaning over her, touching her cheek, results in an outpouring of tears.

"My Camellia!"

"A flower, dearest?" A peony blooms on her wrist and her tears double. She strokes it for her own comfort, and it warms his heart.

"No...she's a little black kitty. My stuffie. My first one. I haven't slept a night without her ever since…" A sob shakes her and he shakes his head, as if despondent. It's nothing a step through his magic won't solve the problem, but this was art he's making. Just a little more.

"A stuffie? It means so much to you?"

"She! She does! She keeps watch while I sleep. She's very precious to me!"

Oh, bugger all. She quails and his heart answers. The intent was to suggest he do the job, but watching her cry like this isn't the way to her heart. Guile is something he can utilize  _ later. _

"Where did you leave her last, dearest?"

Her brows rise and her body shakes. Charlie lays down next to her, hair spilling into the dirt and cloak making the pebbles more uncomfortable. He laces his fingers with hers again, brushes his lips over her fingers.

"In. In my parent's home. I can't believe I left her! What will happen to her and… everything… else…" He gives her a smile. Thandi holding onto an attachment is novel. A little of the selfishness he wants to see from her.

"Close your eyes." She does, and it isn't the first time today that her absolute trust runs fingertips over his heart. He's worked hard not to let her trust get crushed the way his had so long ago. There are always ways he could tell, now. This was one. "Good. Picture for me: where is Camellia?"

Thandi can see exactly where she left poor Camellia in her mind's eye. 

"What's around Camellia?"

The picture gets clearer. Charlie's voice anchors her. There's a fluttering sensation. 

"Thank you. Let's fetch her now, dearest." Thandi opens her eyes, disoriented momentarily. To see Charlie here with her, in a room that she's told she had spent her youngest years in, fills her with a dissonance that makes her spiral--

She sees the honey of his eyes and he shifts, wrapping an arm around her waist as he whispers. "Don't think on it. There's me and you right now. Too much and you will end up as I had." 

Thandi nods and closes her eyes, feeling him holding her snug to him. It's comforting to have him back again. She opens her eyes and he smiles at her. Faithful. Reassuring. Absolutely filled with adoration. If he recalled everything, she's sure that the look would be different.

_ Don't think on it. _

All right. She opens her eyes again. "You've improved."

"I had an excellent teacher." 

Feeling stable again, they rise and move to the trunks she had been permitted to pack. She moves straight to the one on top. Packed last and first to arrive at her betrothed's home. He can sod off.

There's a tiny thrill at thinking it. Thandi grabs the trunk and turns to Charlie. He smiles that sweet smile and takes her hand. Before she knows it, she and him stand by their still-crackling fire. Gone for barely five minutes. 

Thandi sits, tugging him down with her. "That's not fair, you know. It took  _ days _ for me to cast a planar spell that took  _ years _ to learn." There is a spark of envy there that she tries to banish, and his hand on her back assists.

"I've been pursuing it relentlessly since I fell for you. Since  _ before _ I truly knew I fell for you."

_ Two _ admissions. Thandi's heart squeezes.

"I think it's easier with you. The first time, I missed my mark by miles and found you because your bracelet called me. I spent the first night grinding my whiskers into limestone."

"You poor thing…" 

His grip on her hand tightens.

"No. I don't think so. Years of begging and pleading while Sylvanus guided me slowly--ugh, that fucking  _ ass _ \--on what I needed to do to make sure that you had a choice still."

Thandi swallows. As always. He's always selfish in his self _ less _ ness. Destroying himself for her yet again. She feels her lip begin to quiver. 

"Thandi. Chasing after you has afforded me power beyond my own comprehension. I like to think that the mindless pursuit has kept me in possession of my scruples."

She turns to look at him, mouth opening to justify herself. Instead, he hugs her to him. She feels him nestle into the crook of her neck, lips brushing her gently as he speaks.

"I do remember everything now, most of all that I love you and I promised that I would afford you the choice when you've had it taken away from you."

Oh, her heart! Be still!

Habit takes over.

"Would you like to see Camellia again?"

Charlie pulls back, giving her a nod. She opens the trunk, her heart easing as she sees the carefully packed treasures before her. His eyes, too, glitter with emotion. Seeing her feelings so bluntly makes her feel shy, but she still runs her fingers over them all.

"Camellia...your bolo. You did look nice, but a cravat really suits you better."

"I'm inclined to agree."

She feels that giggle again, letting it out as he chuckles beside her. Deep. It's such a soothing sound.

" _ Doctor's Travelogues. _ The only copies in all of Faerun."

"I do like to spoil you."

"Peppermint. The sample you gave to me."

"If you so needed the comfort."

Her fingers stroke over something that surprises him. She pulls out a small pouch and opens it up. The gentle smell of peony greets her. Her eyes flick to his as he realizes the contents.

"You...kept them."

"As much as I could. You wear your heart not just on your sleeve, but my wrist as well, darling."

His fingers brush against her jaw, turning her face to him. Again, he presses his forehead to hers, eyes on her lips. 

Then his lips meet hers.

It's everything she's ever wanted. Pure, sweet, gentle, tender. There's a moment where she fears that her inexperience is going to ruin it, but when his hand moves to her neck, it calls her hand to his shoulder, and the gentle pressure of the kiss seems to be forever in mere seconds.

They part, him taking a breath as he stares into her eyes. His other hand rises to stroke her cheek and she replaces the pouch into the trunk without looking. Her head tilts and it's so natural, kissing.

It finally comes out. She can't keep it tucked away. "I love you. I...I love you so much. That day where you caught me, when I hugged you that first time…"

"...when you stroked my hair, and left me wanting for the only touch that made me feel worth anything. Your face when I proposed. My misguided principles. Ha.  _ Yours. _ "

Thandi snorts. "You could be a scoundrel when you want to be."

"And you could be that wicked woman I adore. I love you."

They laugh. Thandi leans into him fully, now. "So you remember everything now. I'm sorry."

"I know I could be thick, but I occasionally can see through your attempts to pry me off of you. I'm sorry, but as long as you have even a glimmer of want for me, you won't get rid of me."

"What now?"

"Anything we want. We've got time."


End file.
